Taipei, June 24 (CNA) Taiwan’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday held a forum on the potential implementation of a United Nations protocol against torture and discussed how the country can better protect the rights of offshore migrant fishermen.
The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, more commonly known as OPCAT, has been ratified by 90 UN countries.
The OPCAT seeks to prevent torture and other forms of ill-treatment through the establishment of a “system of regular visits” to places of detention, carried out by “independent international and national bodies”.
Although Taiwan cannot be an official signatory, due to its exclusion from the UN, a proposal to adopt the protocol rules in Taiwan is being discussed by lawmakers, according to a statement released by the NHRC, a government agency under the control of the Yuan.
Wednesday’s forum was therefore a way for NHRC members, academics and human rights groups to discuss how the OPCAT could be implemented in Taiwan, highlighting the focus on institutions that house children and young people who have been abused or faced with difficult situations. , indicates the press release.
The forum also featured a conference of officials from the New Zealand Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman, two government agencies involved in keeping the OPCAT in the country, the statement said.
On the topic of the rights of offshore migrant fishermen, forum participants focused on their lack of protection under the law.
Migrant fishermen employed on deep sea fishing vessels (DWF) are not protected by labor standards law, unlike migrant workers on boats fishing in Taiwanese waters, which is unreasonable, Chi Hui said. -jung (紀惠容), member of the NHRC.
Shih Yi-hsiang (施逸翔), secretary general of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, called for migrant fishermen on DWF vessels to also be covered by the law and for the Taiwanese government to adopt the convention on work in fishing C188.
The convention grants fishermen written conditions of employment, decent food and accommodation, medical care, regulated working time, repatriation, social protection and health and safety on board fishing vessels.
It entered into force in 2017 and has been signed by 18 countries, including the UK, France, Norway, Argentina and Thailand.
Until concrete steps are taken, human rights protections for migrant fishermen in Taiwan will continue to be weak, Shih said.
